Deputy Health Minister, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, with his Eastern Cape counterpart, Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth, led a march in Mthatha on May 12, to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal (backstreet) abortions.
The march, which started at the taxi rank behind Circus Triangle Mall, culminated at the Mthatha Freedom Square, where an anti-illegal abortion memorandum was handed over to criminal justice system authorities.
Marchers, which included King Sabata Dalindyebo Executive Mayor, Nyaniso Nelani, also removed illegal abortions advertisements splashed around the Mthatha CBD.
Dhlomo stressed the need for creation of an environment that is safe and friendly to those wanting to terminate pregnancy, as part of addressing the mushrooming of illegal abortion facilities.
“We need to make those who wish to terminate their pregnancy feel free and safe to come to our health facilities and do so in a safe manner, not through the backstreet abortions which are not safe to their sexual reproductive health,” Dhlomo explained.
He further cautioned that illegal abortions were contributing to maternal deaths.
Meth added that government would strengthen awareness and accessibility to free and safe termination of pregnancy in government health facilities.
She further admitted that the attitude of clinicians at their facilities may be contributing to people resorting to illegal and unsafe abortion facilities.
“We will devise a plan on how we work with the local and district municipalities on an integrated programme involving all our stakeholders to effectively deal with moral decay that leads to teenage pregnancy, which then leads to the problem of illegal abortions,” Meth said.
The Department of Health has urged those who wish to terminate their pregnancy to do so using safe and free termination of pregnancy services, provided in compliance with Termination of Pregnancy Act, which are accessible at designated public health facilities across the country.
